Dr. Melanie Sue Hicks is a workforce and employee experience expert, author, TEDx speaker, and corporate trainer with a passion for helping organizations and individuals unlock their full potential. She currently serves as the Vice President of Programs for the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation. Over the course of her career, she has worked with hundreds of clients—including small to midsized businesses, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations—providing experiential, innovative solutions in strategy, organizational development, and workforce optimization. Her expertise has earned her recognition in major media outlets such as Forbes, NBC, and CBS, solidifying her reputation as a thought leader in her field.

Beyond her professional work, Dr. Hicks is a dedicated global philanthropist, driven by a deep commitment to fostering human connection and resilience. Her extensive travels have taken her to more than 45 countries, spanning over 120,000 miles, where she has contributed more than 2,500 hours to service projects ranging from educational initiatives to community development programs. These experiences have profoundly shaped her perspective on leadership, adaptability, and the power of service-driven transformation.

Dr. Hicks is the author of Incongruent: Travel, Trauma, Transformation, a travel memoir that explores resilience through the lens of adventure and service work. She is also the curator of Shaking Off the Ashes, a resilience-focused poetry collection. A writer from an early age—completing her first book at just 10 years old—she has since been published in numerous esteemed publications, including Forbes.com, Marie Claire, Authority Magazine, See Beyond Magazine, The District, and Doctor’s Life Magazine, among others.

As the Founder and CEO of InPursuit, a boutique consulting firm, Dr. Hicks has led clients through complex challenges in workforce strategy, leadership development, and operational efficiency. Her expertise in talent management and employee experience has positioned her as a trusted advisor to leaders across industries. She is also the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Inked Elephant Publishing House, where she champions emerging authors, helping them bring their stories to life and guiding them from ideation to published reality.

Dr. Hicks has held several key leadership positions, including Chief Programs Officer at the Warrior-Scholar Project, Chief Executive Officer of the Children’s Athletic Network, and Vice President at MGT Consulting. Earlier in her career, she served as Assistant Provost at the University of Tampa, Education Policy Advocate at the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF), and Aide to the Mayor of Tallahassee.

Dr. Hicks holds a Doctorate from the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University, a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Miami, and a Bachelor’s in Organizational Communication from the University of Central Florida.

In addition to her academic credentials, she holds a Business Analytics certificate from Harvard Business School and is a Senior Certified Professional with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP) and a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) with CFRE International.

She also holds multiple professional certifications, including Inclusive and Ethical Leadership, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace, and Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt from the University of South Florida.